Why are Japanese IPs so prevalent in Taipei souvenir shops?

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Japanese IPs are widely visible in Taipei souvenir shops due to the city’s heavy presence of licensed, consumer-facing Japanese pop-culture retail.
On the first day in Taipei, the writer saw gachapon machines and Japanese characters like Hello Kitty and Pokémon in places ranging from pharmacies to cafés, alongside other cute mascots tied to popular Japanese IPs. They also visited a San-X Sentimental Circus pop-up store and a Pokémon Centre, which they described as the largest Pokémon Centre outside Japan, and bought Pokémon-themed items including a Pikachu plush with pineapple goggles, pineapple tarts, and Pokémon seaweed snacks.
Japanese character goods appear across everyday retail locations in Taipei
The writer’s observation is that Japanese IP products are not confined to one shopping district or a single themed store. They reported seeing gachapon machines “everywhere” and encountering Japanese brands, clothes, and pharmacies with character-based merchandise, which made the city feel “almost like being in Japan.”
Specific licensed pop-ups and dedicated stores concentrate IP merchandise
Taipei also has dedicated venues for Japanese character lines. The writer attended a Sentimental Circus pop-up store connected to San-X, and later went to Taipei’s Pokémon Centre, which they said is the largest Pokémon Centre outside Japan. In the Pokémon Centre, they described long queues of adults and children browsing Pokémon goods, then purchased multiple Pokémon-themed souvenirs including pineapple-related items and seaweed snacks.
The writer links today’s Japanese cultural presence to long historical exposure
The writer was “mystified” by how many things they recognised as Japanese, noting that Taiwan was under Japanese rule for 50 years. While they do not provide a direct causal explanation for modern retail supply and demand, they frame the scale of familiarity with Japanese brands and characters as something shaped by that longer historical relationship.
Cultural consumption patterns and market demand are reflected in what shoppers buy
What the writer bought shows how Japanese IP retail in Taipei ties characters to local consumer tastes and travel souvenir habits. Their purchases included pineapple tarts as souvenirs and a Pikachu item tied to Taiwan’s pineapple tarts, along with Pokémon-themed seaweed snacks and a shopping bag, indicating that character goods are packaged for visitors looking for themed, giftable products. The overall experience—malls, trains, and frequent browsing despite near-constant March rain—reinforced that Japanese IP merchandise is a prominent part of the city’s retail atmosphere.

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Why are Japanese IPs so prevalent in Taipei souvenir shops?

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